ATLAS OF CERAMIC FABRICS 2

‘Atlas of Ceramic Fabrics 2. Italy: Southern Tyrrhenian. Neolithic – Bronze Age’ presents and interprets the petrographic composition of pre-protohistoric pottery (6th-1st millennia BCE) found in southwestern part of Italy. This is the second in a Atlas series organised according to geographical areas, chronology and types of wares. In this book 890 samples from 29 sites are discussed, encompassing results of more than 50 years of interdisciplinary archaeological, technological and archaeometric research by the authors’ team. Ninety petrographic fabrics (the potters’ ‘recipes’) are defined and presented based on their lithological character – a tool that can be used to compare different components of the ceramic pastes and to check possible provenance of non-local pots. The volume is organized in chapters focused on methodology, fabric description and distribution, followed by the archaeological implications and the database, with contribution by Andrea Di Renzoni (CNR-ISMA, Roma). Illustrations and descriptions of the fabrics and a list of samples provide a rigorous and transparent presentation of the data. The archaeological implications are discussed through cross-correlatios between origin and technology, variability, standardisation, chronology, function, social organization, circulation, style, typology and cultural identity. We hope that this work will be considered an another stepping-stone in demonstrating that technological variability is as important as stylistic distinctions.

SARA T. LEVI’s research focuses on the ancient pottery through an integrated approach, and on the archaeology of central Mediterranean. She obtained a PhD in archaeology at the Sapienza University in Rome (1996). Her findings have been published in scientific journals and books, including a volume on the Italo-Mycenaean pottery (2014). Since 2015 she has been teaching at Hunter College in New York, after teaching for eight years at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Since 2009 she leads the interdisciplinary archaeological investigations at Stromboli (Aeolian Islands) and at Cannatello (Agrigento). Both projects hold international field school for students in a multidisciplinary environment.

VALENTINA CANNAVÓ’s research focuses on the archaeometric investigation of ancient pottery. She is a research fellow at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia where she obtained a PhD in archaeological science (2010). Valentina teaches pottery technology (Ferrara University) to graduate students. She is in charge of the database of prehistoric pottery is director of the field laboratory at Stromboli (Aeolian Islands).

DANIELE BRUNELLI’s research focuses on petrography, geochemistry and tectonics of oceanic ridges. He obtained his PhD at the University of Bologna (2002). Since 2007 he has been teaching at the University of Modena, is associated researcher at CNR-ISMAR, invited professor at the University of Brest and at the Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris. He supports the development of petrographic and geochemical approach of the archaeo-team by bringing expertise of the geological exploration of the volcanic terrains and the availability of cutting edge analytical approaches.